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What an amazing year we have had at Pinnacle! We had so many great moments. One of our highlights was the fact that Pinnacle Promotions celebrated our 20th birthday this year! We threw a party, we had personalized balloons, we had custom sunglasses, we gave the Pinnacle entire team promotional t-shirts. We held a contest and gave away an iPad in a branded tablet cover as a Grand Prize, and logo’d Bluetooth speakers as a First Place Prize. All of this to say, will any of these promotional products be around 20 years from now?

Turns out the answer might just be YES!

We love this article about a t-shirt that resurfaced after 20 years and the search to restore it to its original owner. The focus of the original story was donated clothes winding up for sale in third-world countries. We have written similar posts. As one commenter states below, “(I) can tell you that there’s no lost value on “bad” clothing donations.”

A journalist noticed one shirt in particular that had personal details on the front and a name on the tag in the back. The man who saw the shirt decided to track down its original owner. With a little social media and a lot of luck…here’s what happened:

“We Found This 20-Year-Old T-Shirt In Kenya. The Internet Found The Original Owner”

Courtesy of Gregory Werner/NPR

Courtesy Jennifer Rasansky

The value of a promotional product never goes out of style. The average promotional item is kept for 6.6 months, according to the Advertising Specialty Institute’s Impression Study (link). And in this case, some are kept for more than 20 years! Look around; do you own a promotional product that you have had longer than 6 months, a year, 5 years, even 20 years? If so, snap a picture and post it to our Facebook wall at facebook.com/pinnaclepromotions.

Where were you 20 years ago? Pinnacle Promotions was just starting up. What started as two brothers in a small office above the Park Bench Bar in Buckhead, north of Atlanta, has grown to a $20 million company with more than 100 employees. Humble beginnings, to say the least! Click to read about our story on our website.

In the last 20 years, Pinnacle has changed logos, developed new websites, built a 100+ person team, and moved offices three times. One thing that has never changed is our mission to help our customers make the right impression by working with them to select quality merchandise that is branded perfectly and always delivered on time.

We asked some of our longest-running employees five questions. We put a few of their answers here.

1. What is the biggest trend you’ve seen since you started at Pinnacle?

Jasmine: Technology gadgets become more and more popular every year. And not only more popular, but more advanced.

Megan: The BIGGEST trend I have seen is with TECH. From inexpensive earbuds to bluetooth speakers…everyone uses TECH items. They span across all Industries and are loved by all. Adapters, power banks, speakers, iPad cases, phone accessories, stylus pens, etc!

Katie: Technology has definitely been more of a focus. Development of systems and programs that drive efficiency internally, as well as, customer facing processes that make it even easier to work with us.

Christina: I think the biggest trend as far as products would be koozies, sunglasses, glassware…..we did soo many wedding koozies a couple years back! ha Sunglasses and tumblers seem to be popular all the time too.

2. What is the biggest change you’ve seen since you started at Pinnacle?

Shelley: The amount of people! I think when I started there were 2-3 people in art, 2 people in marketing, maybe 8 in sales and 1 person in IT and accounting plus Dave and Mitch.

Benjy: My left front tire.

Jodi: Obviously, the growth of the company is a big change. When I started almost 8 years ago, the company was much smaller and we did continue to grow but at a slow rate. Today, Pinnacle is growing so quickly! We have added so many talented and wonderful people to the Pinnacle team within a short time and continue to do so. Also, another big change was the new Pinnacle branding.

Brooke: The beautiful, new office!

Steve: More structure and improved leadership team.

3. Where do you see the promotional market in the next 20 years?

Shelley: I think products will be more retail oriented with a quicker time from being in stores to being available for branding.

Katie: I see a lot more room for competition. As potential customers become more and more Internet savvy, SEO is going to become increasingly more important.

Amy: Promotional Products are here to stay! There is no denying the power and return on investment that our medium provides to our clients. Over the next 20 yrs I can see the mkt continuing to grow. The Ad Specialties market will continue capturing a larger share of advertising spend vs. other mediums. Promotional Products are and remain to be one of the most cost effective products for the amount of CPI that they deliver.

4. Where do you see Pinnacle Promotions in the next 20 years?

Jodi: I believe Pinnacle will continue to grow in its staff numbers and expertise in the promotional world. The more years of experience we get, the more knowledge we gain as individuals, teams, and departments and as a company. I believe Pinnacle will continue to work hard and have fun in the process.

Jasmine: Twice the size and still going strong! :)
Megan: I see Pinnacle growing further to develop private labeling and designs. Pinnacle not just buying from suppliers but creating a truly unique experience on another level with products that are cutting edge and thoughtfully useful.

5. What has been the best part about working at Pinnacle?

Jodi: The people and the environment. The people are just great to work with. I really feel like everyone is more of a family and truly care about the people they work with. This makes a difference in every day happiness in your job. The environment of the office is relaxed and fun, but we also work super hard. It’s great to have that balance.

Benjy: Family atmosphere.

Jasmine: Everything is constantly changing! You never get bored around here :)

Megan: The BEST part of working at Pinnacle is working with such cool people! We are all individuals but we seem to work together well and I learn so much from everyone here. :)

Brooke: The fast-paced environment, and working alongside “A” players. Each person at Pinnacle strives to do better every day. I enjoy the encouragement and the challenge from co-workers on a daily basis. I also love Pinnacle because of its size. I feel as if I am able to work with all departments, and learn from them, as well as make an impact.

Steve: The people.

Katie: The ability to voice your concerns and make positive changes within the organization. The opportunities are endless! If someone asserts him or herself and are straight forward with what they want their career to be within the company, good things will happen! And we get to wear jeans to work everyday :)

Shelley: Making new friends. My closest friends come from Pinnacle and I am so happy to have friends that work with me.

Amy: The PEOPLE! We all learn from one another and take the lesson with us over time. All in all we have a great culture. On those days that it has seemed hard to get motivated it is not only the commitment to the company but the people on your team that keep you coming back and pushing harder.

Christina: Seeing the company grow and knowing that I helped play a small role in the success. It feels good to work at a company that you see improving each year. It makes all your hard work worth it. Pinnacle was my first job out of college, so I feel like I have really grown up alongside the company.

We recently had a huge birthday, blowout bash to celebrate! Click to see pics and video from our 20th birthday party!

Pinnacle Promotions is celebrating our birthday by inviting you to celebrate with us. Pinnacle is hosting a #Pinnacle20 Photo Contest! Post a photo using the #pinnacle20 hashtag and be entered to win an iPad Air, or other great prizes. Check out our contest at facebook.com/pinnaclepromotions for ways to enter.